Selvage clipper



April 26, 1960 T. J. THORE 2,933,908

' SELVAGE CLIPPER I Filed April 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZIQA April 26, 1960 T. J. THORE 2,933,908

SELVAGE CLIPPER Filed. April 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April'26, 1960 T. J. THORE 2,933,908

SELVAGE. CLIPPER Filed April 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2,933,908 h SELVAGE CLIPPER Thomas J. Thore. Philadelphia. Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, 2a., a corpora tion of Pennsylvania Application April 17, 1957, seam... 653,367 3 Claims. (Cl. 615-147) This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to rotary cylinder machines of the type used for examplein production of seamless hose.

The invention has a particular application to rotary cylinder hosiery machines of the class adapted production of stocking blanks joined serially in end to end relation ina continuous tube from which the individual blanks are separated for finishing in independent'operation. Conventionally, the separating operation consists essentially of two manual operations in one .of'which the Operator severs the yarn at both ends of a'single course of loops and in the other of which the severed yarn is gripped at or near its mid-section on the opposite side of the blank from the points of severance and is withdrawn from the tubular fabric to separate the latter on a line'corresponding to said course. These-operations require expert and precise manipulations by skilled operators and add substantially to the costs of production.

2,933,903 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 welt 2, and the foot portion including the heel and toe pockets 5 and (respectively. The toe end of section 3 is joined to the ribbed top section 7 of the'adjoining blank by a number of loosely knit courses or selvage 8 formed conventionally by withdrawal of alternate cylin der needles from the knitting operation, and this loosely knit selvage terminates in'the conventional'welt 9 produced in well knownjmanner by manipulation of the cylinder and dial needles and shogging of the dial. The top 2 terminates similarly in a welt 11 and the loose selvage 12 which join the said section to the toe portion 13 of the immediately adjoining blank. Composite continuous webs of this character and their component individual stocking blanks'are well known in the art and constitute no part of the present invention.

In separating the individual blanks from the composite knit tube it is customary as set forth above to sever the yarn at beginning and end of a selected course of For reasons set forth below they are also a potential source of defect in thefinished product. "A primary object of the invention is to provide mechanism for facilitating and expediting this blank'separating operation and for eliminating the operation as a possible source of defect.

The invention will be more readily comprehended by reference to the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of that. partof a rotary cylinder hosiery knitting machine with which the present invention is primarily concerned and illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. l;

vFig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of the needle cylinder illustrating details of the device of the invention; t

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are corresponding fragmentary sectional views showing three different successive stages of the knitting process and of the operation of the device of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the upper end of the cylinder showing a structural detail, and

Fig. 10 is a side view of a section of the continuous knitted blank illustrating the nature of the component individual blanks.

With reference, first to Fig. 10, the section of a con-.

machine. The section 3 consists of a plain knit fabricformed on the cylinder needles above and comprises the leg and ankle portions 4 of the stocking joined to the knitting and to withdraw the severed yarn. This operation is performed in the loosely knit .selvages 8 and 12 and preferably immediately adjoining the welts 11 and 9 so as toreduce to a minimum the length of the loose end of yarn connected to the welt when the tube is parted as described. .In other words, one of the points of severance of the parting course will be as close as possible to the initial loop of the welt. In the conventional manual operation, there is no positive assurance that the cut-will be confined to the single strand, and even slight misplacement may and not infrequently does cause damage to the welt. The present invention provides automatic and precise means for cutting the yarn in preparation for the withdrawal of the severed section from the tubular web which parts the web as described. g

In Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of the drawings, the reference numeral 15 indicates the needle cylinder of a knittin'g machine of the type to which the invention relates. The cylinder is rotated through the medium of a bevel gear 16 in conventional manner. A dial 17 lies at the top of the cylinder supported by a shaft 18 which is connected by transmission means, including a pinion 19, shaft 21,

and spur gear 22, to the gear 16 for synchronized 'rotaby the usual cams, and the operations of the machine generally, including the initiation and termination of each of the differing successive sections of the tubular web 1, are controlled by a pattern cam 26 in well known manner. In so far as described the machine may be considered conventional.

In accordance with the invention, a needle-like rod 27 is mounted in the bore 28 of cylinder 15. The rod is slidably supported toward its lower end in a bushing 29 secured in an annular fitting 31 attached by screws 32 to the lower end of the cylinder. A spring 33, confined between the bottom of the bushing and a collar 34 on the rod, tends to retain the rod in a normal depressed position shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 8, but pemiits it to be elevated to a position shown in Fig. 7. As shown in sides, asindicated at 36, for reception of the ends of a pin 37 secured in the rod so as to preclude relative angular displacement of the rod and bushing and, since the bushing is anchored in fitting 31 by set screw 38, of the rod and cylinder.

.The rod carries an annular foot 39 at its lower end which .is supported and guided at opposite sides, see

. Fig. 3, by plungers 41 attached to the foot and slidably fitted to cylinders 42 depending from fitting 31, these plungers and cylinders also precluding angular displacement of the foot and rod about the axis of the latter.

The rod may be elevated by oscillation through a cam- 43 on cylinder 26 of a lever 44 mounted on a fixed pivot 45. The .lever carries an'annular element 46 at its outer endwhich engages the underside of "and forms 'a seat for the foot 39. v g

'The upper end 47 at the rod 27 is curved radially ontwardly of the cylinder and when the rod is inthe horrnal depressed position the curved upper endoccupie's a recess 48 in the sinker ring '49 at the upper end of the cylinder. Tle curved end 47 then seats on or lie's contiguous to the lip '51 of the ring, see Fig. 6, and in a position withdrawn outwardly from 'the knitted web 52 forming on the needles and passing into the upper end of the cylinder and downwardly through thelatter in conventional manner. .When the rod is elevated, however, the curved end'47 thereof is brought "against the fabric as shown in Fig. 7. Th'efltubular web passing downwardly through cylinder 15, and through the foot .39 and annular element 46, is held under the usual tension between the needles and rolls 53 or other take up means, see Fig. 1, and elevation of rod 27 as described causes the tip 54 to pass through the fabric as shown in Fig. 7. It will be noted that the rod finds support against lateral displacement, particularly when elevated, by a brace 55, see Figs. 1 and 4, which has a semi-circular rod receiving recess 56 for reception of the rod in the area immediately below the curved upper end. Normally, asshown in Fig. 4, the rod will be slightly spaced from thesides of the recess. v

'The point of penetration of the fabric is precisely determinable by reason of the fixed relation between the rod and the needles and the fact thatac'tuation of the rod is by cam means on the cylinder 26 which as previously stated controls the operations of the machine. In the present instance, the point of initial penetration is timed so that it lies at the leading end of the loosely knit selvage which immediately adjoins the toe pockets 6 of the plain knit sections of the web, represented by section 3 in'Fig. l0, and two full courses in advance of the proximate welt represented by section 9 in the same figure. The point of penetration also lies between two adjoining series of Wale loops indicated respectively at 57 and58 in Fig. 5. The run 59 of yarn which connects the corresponding loops of these two wales and which lies immediately in advance of the point of penetration will lie at the topof or inner side of the rod, but the corresponding run 61 in the succeeding course will pass under or outside of the rod, see also Fig. 8.. The elevated position of the rod is maintained for sutficient time for the corresponding run 62 of yarn in the next succeeding course to'pass under tip 54 after which the rod is again permitted by cam 43 and by-action of spring 33 to return to the normal depressed position as shown in Fig. 8. V

The continued knitting operation carries the loops 61 and 62 down the rod 27 past brace 55 and eventually into contact with the cutting edge 63 ofa blade 64 projecting from the rod, see Figs. 1 and 5, which severs the loops. Subsequent Withdrawal from the fabric of the section of yarn between the severed loops, extending over one full course of knitting, will part the'tubular web on a line in immediate proximity to the welt and by reason of this proximity the loose end of yarn extend- 4 'ing from the welt will be of minimum practical length requiring no clipping. The remaining part of the loosely knit selvage 8 is removed in conventional manner in course of the toe closing operation.

I claim:

1. In a rotary cylinder knitting machine, a cylinder, and means. for rotating the cylinder, needles in said cylinder actuated in response to said rotation to form a tubular knitted web, means for progressively withdrawing the web from then'eedles through said cylinder, at cutting element adjoining the path of said web, a rod carried by and within the cylinder havinga free extremity normally occupying a retracted position in proximity to the needles at the outside of the knitted 'web, said rod extending from said extremity into proximity to the 'cutting element and terminating in a laterally projecting annular foot approximately concentric with the axis of the cylinder, and means including an actuating element operatively engaged with said annular foot for moving the extremity between said normal retracted position and a second position in which it intersects the knitted web and deflects the yarn in succeeding courses of thewe b from the plane of the fabric and guides the yarn so deflected into contact with the cutting element 'to sever the yarn. I

2,111 a rotary cylinder knitting machine, a cylinder and means for rotating the cylinder, needles in said cyl inder actuated in response to said rotation to form a tubular knittedweb, means for progressively withdrawing the web from the needles through said cylinder, a cutting element disposed adjacent the lower end of the cylinder adjoining the path of 'said web, a rod carried by and within the cylinder at its lower end and projecting upwardly intermediate said cylinder and the path ofthe web and terminating in a free extremity having a normal retracted position in close proximity to said needles outside the knitted web, and displaceable longitudinallyto a second position intersecting the web for deflecting the yarn in succeeding courses of the knitted web from the plane of the fabric and for guiding the yarn so deflected into contact with the cutting element to sever the yarn, actuating means for said rod comprising an annular element surrounding the path of travel of the web and concentric with said cylinder, and selectively operable to efiect longitudinal displacement of saidlrod, and means adjacent the 'upper end of the cylinder supporting said rod against lateral displacement and affording travel to the deflected yarn on said rod into engagement with said cutting element.v

3.A knittingmachine according to claim 2, wherein said actuating means for efiecting longitudinal displacement of said rod includes means defining an annular surface thereon, and foot means on said rod operable to slidably engage said annular surface upon rotation of the cylinder and displace said rod upon operation of the actuating means. i

' References Cited in the file of this patent Gilbreath Feb. 27, 1951 

